Wire-stretcher.



Nb.'772,556. v PA'IENTEDOGT.18,|1904.

E. DENISON.

I WIRE STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1904;

K0 MODEL.

I WITNESSES,

1v NTOR;

Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL DENISON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,556, dated October 18, 1904.

Application filed August 3, 1904.

1'0 alZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMIL DENISON, a citizen of Russia, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to improvements in stretchers or grippers for use by linemen andothers in stringing wires, cables, and the like.

The object of my invention'is to provide a gripper and stretcher or tightener which is simple in construction, powerful and durable, which is adapted to take either a fine wire or a cable an inch or more in diameter, which will not kink a wire, which may be run out any distance in .mid-air on the wire and then engaged, and which can be made to release its grip automatically on the wire at any time and at any point. 7

It consists of the'parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through guides looking down on follower.

A represents a handle member having a flat horizontal-head 2 at one end, forminga fixed jaw, and a pendent fol-k3 at the opposite end, adapted to straddle the wire to be stretched. A movable handle or jaw 1 is pivoted at 4; below and to one side of head 2 and has a camface 5 bearing on the vertically-reciprocal follower 6, which is loosely slidable on the side portion 7, to which member 4 is pivoted, and which follower is adapted to cooperate with the flat head 2 to grip the wire.

8 is a plate hinged at 8 to the side of the head opposite thewall 7 and bridging the side opening between the head and the follower and arranged to be locked over the pivot-pin 9 of member 4 by suitable means, as the button 10.

The object of the hinged plate 8 is to inclose the space between the gripping-surfaces of the tool, so as to prevent the stretcher from falling off the wire when the jaws are not gripped tight, as would occur if the jaws were wire.

Serial No. 219,355. (No modem of member 4 and passed over a grooved roller 13 in the fork 3 of member A, and an anchor-' line 14: is fastened to the opposite or gripping end of member 4.

In operation, assuming a wire 15 is to be stretched, the hinged plate Sis opened to allow the wire to be inserted into the space between head 2 and follower 6, with the toollying parallel with and the fork 2 straddling the wire, the fork end of the tool extending in the direction in which pull is to be exerted. By closing and locking plate 8 the stretcher is prevented from falling ofi the wire, and since the jaws normally remain open the stretcher can'be run out any distance desired from the pole before a grip need be taken on the wire. The clamping of the wire is effected by some one holding on to line 14:- an instant in opposition to the pull on tow-line 12 until the jaws are closed. Line 14 is then slackened and the pull continued on line 12 to stretch the The moment line 12 is slackened the jaws fly open by reason of spring 11, releasing the wire and allowing the stretcher to be drawn forward to the next pole.

The wire is maintained centrally of the jaws and parallel with the handle members. by means of the grooved roller 13 at the fork end of the device and the grooved roller 16 at the opposite end. These rollers support the device at widely-separated points on the wire and run on the wire as upon a track. The result is that any tendency to kink the wire orbend it at a sharp angle is entirely obviated, this construction being distinguished from that of stretchers or grippers, which are supported at one end only. Moreover, kink is not liable to occur, because the pull on the tow-line, which passes over roller 13, is imme diately above the wire to be stretched, and is exerted uniformly in a line parallel and close to the'wire.

By having ahinged jaw-closuraas the plate 8, the strength of the tool is not only increased by supporting both ends of the movable jaw- A tow-line 12 is connected to the free end pivot, but a great varietyof sizes of wire and cable may be operated on successfully.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A wire-stretcher comprising a member having means for supporting it at its ends upon a wire, a fixed jaw portion intermediate of the supports, a jaw movable in relation to said fixed jaw, means for retaining the jaws in normally open position, means for retaining the stretcher in position on the wire when the jaws are opened and means for actuating the jaws to grip the wire and to release the wire when the stretcher is in mid-air.

2. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member having means at each end for supporting it upon the wire, a movable jaw member pivoted thereto, means for inelosing the jaw-opening whereby the stretcher may be maintained in position on the wire with the jaws open, and means for actuating the jaws to grip the wire or to release the wire when the stretcher is in mid-air.

3. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member having means at each end for supporting it upon the wire, a movable jaw member, and means depending therefrom for inclosing the opposite sides of the jaw-opening.

4:. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member having means at each end for supporting it upon the wire, a movable jaw member pivoted to one side of said fixed jaw and a closure for the opposite side of the jawopening.

5. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member having means at each end for supporting it upon the wire, a movable jaw member pivoted to one side of said fixed jaw member and a closure for the opposite side of the jawopening hinged to the fixed jaw.

6. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member, a movable jaw member pivoted to one side of said fixed jaw member, a closure for the opposite side of the jaw-opening hinged to the fixed jaw and having interlocking means with the pivot of the movable jaw.

7. A wire stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member, a plate fixed to one side of said fixed jaw member, a movable jaw pivoted to said plate, a follower slidable on said plate and reciprocal on the actuation of the movable jaw and a closure for the jaw-opening on the side opposite to said fixed plate.

8. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member having means at each end for supporting it upon the wire, a movable jaw member having pivotal means of support with one side of the fixed jaw, and means for closing the opposite side of the jaw-opening.

9. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member, a movable jaw member having pivotal means of support with one side of the fixed jaw, and means for closing the opposite side of the jaw-opening, said means including a plate hinged to the fixed jaw and havinginter-engaging means with the pivot of the movable jaw.

10. A wire-stretcher comprising a fixed jaw member, a movable jaw member pi voted thereto, means for retaining the stretcher in position in mid-air on the wire when the jaws are opened, means for causing the jaws to engage a wire and means for causing it automatically to release the wire while the stretcher is in mid-air.

11. A wire-stretcher comprising a handle member having a fixed jaw adjacent to one end and a bifurcated portion at the opposite end, a direction-roller in said bifurcated portion, a guide-roller at the jaw end, a movable jaw pivoted to one side of and co '3perating with the fixed jaw and a line secured to the movable jaw member and passing over the direction-roller in said bifurcated portion.

12. A wire-stretcher comprising a handle member having afixed jaw at one end, a movable jaw pivoted to said fixed jaw, a guideroller on the end of the handle member opposite the fixed jaw, a line secured to the movable jaw and passing over said guide-roller, and means in connection with the opposite end of the stretcher for the attachment of an anchor-line.

13. A wire-stretcher comprising a handle member having a fixed jaw, a movable jaw pivoted to the handle relative to said fixed jaw, means for retaining the jaws in normally open position, means including a towline for actuating the jaws to close them from a point distant from the stretcher and means other than the wire to be stretched for exerting a pull on the stretcher in opposition to the tow-line.

14:. A wire-stretcher comprising a handle member having a fixed jaw at one end and a bifurcated part at the other end, a roller journaled in said bifurcated part, a guide-roller at the opposite end of the handle, a movable jaw member pivoted to one side of said fixed jaw, a follower operatable intermediate oi the two jaws, a hinged plate arranged to close the open side of the jaw-opening, a tow-line secured to the free end of the movable jaw and passing through the guide-roller in the bifurcated portion of the handle member and an anchor-line attached to the opposite end of the stretcher.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL DENISON. 

